Method of manufacturing brake-levers



W. A. KERN.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING BRAKE LEVEHS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I2, I920.

1,390,207. PatentedSept. 6, 1921.

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' w/ 7WEsss MVE/VTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. KERN, OFELLWOOD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB 'IO FREDERIC SCI-IAEFER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

Application filed May 12, 1920. Serial No. 380,830.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. KERN, a resident of Ellwood Cit in thecounty of Lawrence and State of ennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Im rovement in Methods of Manufacturing rake-Levers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the manufacture of brake levers such as are used in the brake gears of railway passenger coaches, freight cars, and like vehicles, and the object thereof is to provide an improved method whereby structurally sound brake levers may be economically manufactured.

The invention is explained with reference to the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification, and in which Fig. 1 is a face view of a finished brake lever of the general form contemplated herein; Fig. 2 a plan view of a blank in the course of its being formed into a brake lever; Fig. 3 a plan view of a drop-forge die used in the manufacture of the brake lever and Fig.

4 an end view of both the upper and lower forging dies, closed one upon the other.

The finished brake lever shown in Fig. 1, and which is of the general character of levers contemplated herein, comprises a web 1 and flanges 2 and 3 formed integrally with the web at its outer edges. The lever is provided with end eyes 4 and 5, and with an intermediate eye 6, for attachment to a brake gear in the well known manner, and the portion of the brake lever at and adjacent to the intermediate eye 6 is wider than the ends of the lever.

In manufacturing brake levers according to the present invention, a suitable elongate blank, is, after being heated, upset to form an enlarged intermediate ortion. The blank so upset is then droporged between a pair of dies, the upset portion of the blank belng so positioned in or between the dies as to furnish the metal for the widest por tion of the brake lever. The forging dies preferably have open ends permitting endwise flow of the metal, and subsequently the ends of the thus-forged blank are trimmed, the eyes drilled to afford proper bearing, and the blank otherwise finished for use.

Blanks having various cross-sectional shapes may be used in the initial step of the process. However, the blank is, as particularly illustrated at 16 in Fig. 2, preferably of cylindrical form, and the upset intermediate portion 8 is also preferably cylindrlcal in cross section, having ends which taper or which gradually merge into the smaller cylindrical blank section. By using a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical blank, the blank may, both before and after the upsetting operation, be readily heated uniformly throughout, and I have found that the metal flows freely into all parts of the forging die. with the result that a structurally sound brakelever is assured. Individual cylindrical blanks of substantially the same length as the finished brake lever and having approximately they required amount of metal for forming a single brake lever may be used, or several brake levers may be successively formed from a multiple length blank. If, after upsetting the interme late portion, the blank remains sufficiently heated to be properly forged, the forging operation may proceed immediately. However, it will usually be found necessary to reheat the blank between the upsetting and forging operations.

The forging dies may be of any. well known or desired construction. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, cooperating dies 9 and 10 of the required configuration to shape the desired brake lever are formed on upper and lower die blocks 11 and 12. As previously stated, the ends of the dies may be open to permit free endwise flow of the metal.

After the forging operation the unfinished ends of the brake levers are sheared or otherwise trimmed, leaving the required amount of metal between the end eyes and the ends of the lever. The forged blank may then be finished by such heat treatment and machining as may be necessary to place it in proper condition and form for use.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle and operation of my improved method, and have illustrated such explanation by drawings showin mechanism whereby it may be practised. Ilowever, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, my invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described herein.

I claim I 1. The method of manufacturing a brake lever, which consists in first upsetting an elongate heated blank to form an enlarged intermediate portion, and in subsequently drop-forging the blank into a brake lever,

the upset portion of the blank furnishing the metal for the widest portion of such lever.

2. The method of manufacturing a brake lever, which consists in first upsetting an elongate substantially cylindrical heated blank to form an enlarged intermediate portion, and in subsequently drop-forging the blank into a. brake lever, the upset portion of the blank furnishing the metal for the widest portion of such lever.

3. The method of manufacturing a brake lever, which consists in first upsetting an elongate heated cylindrical blank to form an enlarged intermediate portion, subsequently drop-forging the blank into a brake lever 15 between dies having open ends permittin endwise flow of the metal to form elongated ends, and in subsequently trimming the ends to the required length of the brake lever, the upset portion of the blank furnishing ghe metal for the widest portion of such ever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM A. KERN.

lVitnesses:

Fnnnnmo SOHAEFER, SUE B. FRITZ. 

